↑

Cook Click N Devour!!!

Easy Vegetarian & Vegan Recipes For Everyone

  • About Me
  • Home
  • Recipe index
  • Contact
  • Privacy policy
Home / Dal & Curry Recipes / Bhuna Masala Recipe (Indian Curry base)

Published: May 17, 2020 | Updated November 15, 2020 | By Harini

Bhuna Masala Recipe (Indian Curry base)

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Love Indian curries? having a jar of this bhuna masala or the curry base will come super handy for you. Made with onions, tomatoes and very few other staple ingredients, this curry base will have your dinner woes sorted 🙂 Here is how you can make classic and tasty Indian bhuna masala base in minutes!

Bhuna Masala

What Is Bhuna Masala?

Bhuna or bhoona means roasted, so bhuna masala typically translates to roasted masala or roasted curry base. This is a base for many Indian curries.

Onion and tomatoes are the base for this base. Few other whole spices and spice powders are also used but you can totally alter them to your taste.

Bhuna paneer, chicken bhuna, mushroom bhuna are few popular ones made specially with this base. However you will find this curry base very handy for many other Indian curries.

Another tasty secret is that this sauce goes very well as dipping sauce or quick side dish for breakfast like dosa, toast or paratha.

Why Make This Recipe At Home?

Yes, this masala is easily available in stores so why take the pain of making at home?

While preservatives and additives in the store bought ones are obvious, I would say your homemade base is totally customizable 🙂

I like mild garlic flavor, so added just few cloves. If you are a fan, go ahead and add a whole head. Not a fan of onion, add very little or even skip it.

Wanna boost the nutrition or color?, add some grated carrots or beetroots. See where I am going with this?

Homemade bhuna masala is economical, why pay a bomb for something when can you can make the same at a fraction of cost?

Set aside 30 minutes during your weekends and sort dinner for several coming days easily 🙂

This Bhuna Masala Recipe Is

Easy, quick and takes less than 30 minutes.

Very versatile sauce that you can use in multiple ways

Vegan & gluten free

Customizable, vary the ingredients as per your taste

Freezes really well

So are you now convinced that you should totally make this sauce at home? Great it is easy and totally worth your time 🙂

Bhuna Masala Recipe

You Will Need

Onions- Onions along with tomatoes form the base of this curry. You can add equal parts of onions and tomatoes or add a bit less of onions for milder flavor.

Tomatoes- Use red ripe tomatoes for best flavor. I like to use a combination of desi and salad tomatoes for balanced flavor.

Garlic– Add as much or less as you like

Spices- you will need the basic spice powders used in Indian cooking like turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder etc. Use whichever you prefer.

How To Make Bhuna Masala

Prepping the veggies

You will need finely chopped onions, minced ginger-garlic-green chili and pureed tmatoes. You can use a food processor or chop by hand.

Making the curry base

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Temper with cumin seeds

Add chopped onions and saute for a minute or two.

Bhuna Masala Recipe

Now add minced ginger-garlic-green chilies.

Bhuna Masala Recipe

Saute well till the raw smell of onions wean off.

Add the tomato puree and mix gently. Cook in medium flame for 4-5 minutes, keeping the pan open.

Indian bhuna masala

Add the spice powders, salt and sugar. Mix very well.

Indian bhuna masala

Cook in open pan for 5-6 minutes.

Indian bhuna masala

Now Cover the pan and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until oil leaves the sides of the pan. The contents should get cooked and reduced in volume.

Indian bhuna masala

Let cool thoroughly and store in clean jar.

Indian bhuna masala

How To Store

You can refrigerate this curry base for 2 weeks in a clean jar. This also freezes well for moths. Just portion out and freeze in small jars.

For making a curry for three, you will around 1/2 to 3/4 cup depending upon the other ingredients you use.

How To Use This Curry Base?

You can mix in some milk or cashew paste to dilute the sauce, simmer for few minutes and add cubed paneer or boiled or fried potatoes or mushrooms or chickpeas for easiest curry. Adjust salt before serving.

You can also use this curry alone as base and make restaurant style paneer bhuna or mushroom bhuna.

I sometimes add 1/4 cup of this masala while making masala pasta. So yummy!

Use this curry as spreading sauce for sandwich, pizza, toast. There are so many options and delicious ways to use this curry.

I hope you will try this recipe and enjoy as much as we did. Please give a star rating ★ in the recipe card below. Follow us on Pinterest , Instagram, Facebook   for more recipes and ideas.

Bhuna Masala

Bhuna Masala Recipe (Indian Curry Base)

Harini
Love Indian curries? having a jar of this bhuna masala or the base masala will come super handy for you. Made with onions, tomatoes and very few other staple ingredients, this curry base will have your dinner woes sorted 🙂 Here is how you can make classic and tasty Indian bhuna masala base in minutes!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Course sauce
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4 cups
Calories 45 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 3 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 4 cups chopped onions
  • 3 tablespoons ginger garlic paste or minced ginger garlic
  • 4 green chilies adjust as per taste
  • 6 cup pureed tomatoes
  • 4 teaspoons red chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons cumin powder
  • 2 teaspoons coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • Heat 1/4 cup oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Temper with cumin seeds
  • Add chopped onions and saute for a minute or two.
  • Now add minced ginger-garlic-green chilies.
  • Saute well till the raw smell of onions wean off.
  • Add the tomato puree and mix gently. Cook in medium flame for 4-5 minutes, keeping the pan open.
  • Add the spice powders, salt and sugar. Mix very well.
  • Cook in open pan for 5-6 minutes.
  • Now Cover the pan and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until oil leaves the sides of the pan. The contents should get cooked and reduced in volume.
  • Let cool thoroughly and store in clean jar.

Notes

  • You can refrigerate this curry base for 2 weeks in a clean jar. This also freezes well for moths. Just portion out and freeze in small jars.
  • For making a curry for three, you will around 1/2 to 3/4 cup depending upon the other ingredients you use.
  • You can mix in some milk or cashew paste to dilute the sauce, simmer for few minutes and add cubed paneer or boiled or fried potatoes or mushrooms or chickpeas for easiest curry. Adjust salt before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 45kcal
Tried this recipe? Snap a pic and share 🙂Mention cookclickndevou or tag cookclickndevour

 

146shares
  • Share
  • Yummly 2
  • Flipboard
  • Twitter

Shared by Harini

About Harini

I am Harini. The recipe developer, food photographer and chef behind cook click n devour. My aim behind this blog is to provide easy, tried and tested recipes that beginners can cook with confidence. I took keen interest in cooking and took courses on cooking, baking during teens purely out of passion. With a decade of cooking experience I am glad to share my recipes and culinary knowledge with you all here. Stay tuned and happy cooking!
Harini :)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hello, I am Harini


The chef, author and photograper of cook click n devour.Here I bring to you tried and tested vegetarian recipes with step by step photos and videos to make cooking a pleasure and fulfilling experience. Happy cooking!
Read More

As Seen In

AboutContactPrivacy
Copyright ©2021, Cook Click N Devour!!!. All Rights Reserved.